The waitress brought our plates. “These eggs look great,” Warren said.

  I swallowed. It was time to enjoy myself and Warren. The weekend seemed like a dream he’d designed for me. I picked up my fork. “Maybe the chef can teach me quickly how to make eggs en cocotte properly, because I’ve never quite gotten it right, though I’m told it’s quite simple.”

  An older man in a chef hat who was clearly our teacher brushed my shoulder. “The secret is always the cream. The better the cream, the better the dish.”

  Warren winked. The chef laughed. Warren then said, “Sounds easy enough. I’ll buy you the best cream.”

  I nodded. “I’ll have to try it later, then.”

  He picked up his fork. “I’ll look forward to your test runs.”

  We both ate, and somehow my fears washed away as I sipped my coffee.

  As our breakfast concluded, the chef waved for us to follow him. Warren put his napkin down then gulped his tea. “Guess it’s time to go.”

  I walked beside him and folded my hands in front of me like a schoolgirl. “I’m nervous. No one’s ever judged my cooking, so I’m going to have to listen hard.”

  He laughed. “You’ll be fine. No one’s judging, and besides, you’re the rock star in this.”

  We walked into a kitchen bigger than the restaurant we’d eaten in and were guided to a portion of the counter marked number four. I whispered, “I’m not a star of anything.”

  He laughed. “Don’t lie. You’re the one that slices and dices and somehow makes delicious dinner.”

  Tonight, we could eat and maybe we’d enjoy each other in bed. His muscles were dreamy, and I craved touching them. We stayed in our spots as the chef said to me, “If we all had someone appreciating our dinners every night, we all then have a reason to improve. So let’s discuss tonight’s menu, starting with French onion soup.”

  “I’m her sous chef.” Warren pointed to me.

  I tickled him, and he laughed.

  The chef moved to the next couple.

  Warren quickly said, “Stop.”

  I did. Once we settled down, Warren held a knife and said, “Tell me what to do.”

  I showed him how to cut the onions, the easy part. “I wished you talked like that all the time.”

  “Honey, I’m all yours.” He winked at me.

  I hoped that was true. If he was mine, we could definitely get naked later.

  40

  Warren

  Kerry seemed happy. Night before, she’d seemed distracted and had avoided serious discussion. Then she passed out.

  However, breakfast and cooking seemed to awaken her spirits, and I was happy I’d chosen the trip. She would enjoy a week in Italy or France, learning from the best chefs in the world, and once we finished our business venture plans, I would send her.

  She deserved to be happy, always. However, all morning, I kept wondering if I should hold back.

  She pressed her hand on her heart and stared at the meals in the oven. “This looks amazing.”

  I took her hand, and sparks rushed through me. “Let’s head up and eat it.”

  She laughed and nodded. Then we retook our seats from breakfast. Her face was bright—she was excited to taste what we’d just made.

  Helping her was fun, and that brightness was exactly why I decided to tell her the truth. The love of my life should be happy, and I needed to honest about who I was.

  The same server from that morning delivered our first course, the French onion soup, and we thanked her. “It’s strange how we’re being catered to now and not setting it up ourselves,” Kerry said.

  Our wine came, and I waited till we were alone to speak. “Enjoy yourself, Kerry. If you want to fly off to Italy on Monday, just say the word.”

  She tilted her head and glanced at me. “You’d just give up everything like that and go?”

  When I’d started my mission, I had been more empty than anything else. With Kerry, I felt whole and like I didn’t need to prove myself anymore. I knew I could handle my life even without any money, so my mission was complete. I waited then said, “My family owns a villa there, or we can take my yacht.”

  Her eyes widened as we sipped, and then she picked up her spoon to taste our soup. “Is it big enough for us?” She took a bite.

  I watched her closely. “It’s big enough for you, me, and fifty guests if you want to invite a party.”

  She coughed, and her eyes widened. She sat up, and once she was settled, she said, “I don’t think I know fifty people.”

  I reached for her hand, and holding her made me feel alive. “If you ever need alone time, I have my own place, and with my resources, the world is at your feet.” I held out my glass to clink.

  Her gaze narrowed. “Maybe we can do Italy later. I am excited to get back to work and set our closing date.”

  My heart lifted. She hadn’t said no. I hoped she would accept my money and my truth with ease. “So it’s all business now?”

  She picked up her spoon again. “Business and fun with you.”

  We finished the soup, and the server cleared our table for the second course. “Then let’s eat fast and head upstairs.”

  The waitress brought our dinners and a questionnaire for the table. Kerry asked as she held it up, “Are we joining the group for the dinner?”

  I wanted to be alone with her. Memories of her naked body played in my mind, but I just sipped my wine. “Up to you.”

  She checked “yes” and handed it back to the waitress. “Okay, I’m curious to taste the chef’s meal.”

  Once we had our food, the server turned. I winked at Kerry as we picked up our silverware. “I’ll tell them not to wait for us, in case we don’t show.”

  Her face turned bright red. The chef stood over her, and she quickly said, “Stop. He’s kidding.”

  “No, I’m not.” I shrugged. I wasn’t embarrassed for anyone to know that Kerry was mine.

  And I wanted to have her again.

  We ate in silence, but her gaze rarely left mine. I had tingles all over my body that needed her tender care. She put her napkin down and waved. “Let’s go, Warren.”

  “Finally.” I stood.

  I needed to be with her, then and forever.

  41

  Kerry

  My heart was his.

  Warren made everything so perfect, and I wasn’t being easy. My past kept putting up roadblocks that honestly didn’t need to be there.

  As the door closed to our room, I walked to the patio and glanced out the open doors that let us see the green hills. I sighed. “Today is like a dream.”

  He came up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Let’s not discuss dreams. Let’s focus on us.”

  My heart beat faster, but I reached to close the door. Alone at last. My skin buzzed. I hadn’t expected fantasy when I wasn’t used to being appreciated. I bounced on my feet, unsure what to do. “Cutting onions is not the same thing as living a full life.”

  “It’s a start.” He reached for my hands.

  I laughed. “True. I’ve been falling for you since we met.” I hadn’t meant to say anything like that. The words “I love you” were on the tip of my tongue. I swallowed it back, and tension rushed in me.

  “Good. So why were you crying last night?”

  I wasn’t completely crazy. Heat rushed to my face. “Because everything about you is so perfect. I was overwhelmed but happy. You always think about me first, and it’s as if you were raised to be a gentleman.”

  He kissed my shoulder. “You’re easy to think about.”

  I cupped his face and decided to show him how I felt. “I want to be on top.”

  He unbuttoned his shirt and laughed. “Cutting right to the chase.”

  “Clearly.” I tossed my jeans onto the floor. He did the same, and a moment later, we stood completely naked in front of each other.

  My body buzzed with excitement, and he came over and kissed me.

  My blood blazed from the attention. I had a goal. My consciousness wanted to surrender to him, and I walked him back to the bed.

  He climbed up, letting me go, and I followed him, tracing his legs with a trail of kisses.

  Then I made it to his cock. I licked my lips then treated it like a lollipop about to be enclosed in my mouth.

  He moaned and grew bigger, and I sighed when my tongue finished. He tapped my arm to come up, and I continued to give his muscular body my tender touches until I made it to his lips and straddled him.

  As we kissed again, steam rushed through me, and he handed me a condom.

  Perfect. We continued to make out, but I scooted off him and opened the package.

  I needed him now. I rolled it on him and then scooted back on top.

  He kissed me, and I slid him inside and rolled backwards.

  Wow. I was filled, and my body quivered, but I found a pace. Love somehow made it better.

  He took over the rhythm, and I collapsed onto him to hold me.

  I was in sweet oblivion, lost, and soon he joined me. And soon, I lost consciousness as I trusted him completely.

  42

  Warren

  Kerry stretched on the bed, and I knew I needed to have her again tonight.

  She was delicious, better than the French lunch she’d cooked.

  Unlike food, Kerry lit my soul in a way food never could.

  I kissed her shoulder. “Let’s order room service, and then I want more of you.”

  She giggled but reached for the phone in the room. “I’ll want the crème brûlée.”

  I winked, as I wanted to clean myself up for her. I stood and said, “Go for it. Get us a bottle of wine as well.”

  “It will be here in a minute.”

  I took a quick shower. I wanted to impress her. She did that to me. She was always fun to be with, both in and out of bed. The love in my heart made our time together even better. “Doesn’t matter how long it takes,” I called. “I’m with you.”

  I rinsed off and turned off the shower. As I dried myself, she came in and clearly didn’t care that she was naked. She stepped in to shower. “Always a sweetheart with me. And you’re a generous partner in business.”

  I almost joined her, but there was a knock at the door. I grabbed one of the robes, dropped the towel, and headed out. A second later, I opened the door and let the waiter in with our dinner. “Speaking of that, I want us to be fifty-fifty from now on,” I called to Kerry.

  I tipped the waiter, and he left.

  “It’s mostly your money.”

  “I didn’t do it without you.”

  Minutes later, she came out with her hair wet and wearing a white robe. She checked the food on the small table and said, “You were clearly successful on Wall Street. Tell me about your life in New York.”

  I wanted to lead her back to bed and take that robe off. “I was lonely, I guess, but didn’t realize it.”

  We ate, and she sighed as if she was happy. Then she asked, “You do now?”

  I finished my lamb chop and stood, offering my hand. “I’m with you. Now, let me show you this time.”

  She squeezed my palm. “Dessert can wait.”

  I led her back to bed. She enjoyed making love, and I was happy to show her again how much I cared for her.

  43

  Kerry

  I sat and blinked as I realized Warren had gone to clean up again.

  He came out, and I did the same, tugging my robe back on as I said, “Let’s eat the dessert.”

  “You read my mind.” He didn’t bother with clothes.

  I bounced as I walked, and we both dug in to our food. We ate the creamy confection with the hard, caramelized top, but after a few bites, I frowned. “I bet we could make this better.”

  He winked and finished his. “The chef didn’t have our magic touch.”

  My eyes widened. Maybe “magic” was the best way to describe how I felt. All my stalling suddenly seemed silly. “Magic?”

  He kissed my cheek. “Us.”

  I finished my dessert then cupped his face. “I like that.” For a second, I didn’t move. I swallowed and met his gaze. I had nothing to fear.

  Warren was the best man I’d ever met, and I was wrong to wait. My skin buzzed. “So we’ve talked a lot about what I want lately, and I need to tell you…” I love you. The words jumbled as if they wanted to come out so fast that I couldn’t form the rest of my sentence.

  He squeezed my hand. “What? I’m listening.”

  I took a deep breath. Now or never. I opted to take my time to find the right words. “I want to be brave. I’ve avoided living my life, and now that we have our partnership and each other, I want to stop being so scared of losing everything.”

  He curved his lips into a smile. “I’m not going anywhere. In fact, I need to tell you about my money.”

  His wealth didn’t matter. Clearly, he had more than I expected. “Not now. I love you.”

  His eyes were bright. “I love you too.”

  Perfect. I tipped my head and said, “Let’s go back to bed.”

  He traced my body and tugged me closer to him. “Or we can enjoy each other right here.”

  Adventures with him would never end. “Near the patio?”

  His lips were close to mine. “I can see you in the moonlight.”

  I lightly sucked on his bottom lip, and he untied my robe. I arched to let him, and I giggled when I realized that we were close enough to the glass that anyone with binoculars could have seen us.

  Joy had never been mine until I met Warren. Nothing on earth would ever change how much I loved him.

  44

  Warren Norouzi is out there in the world, proving he can run a company without Wall Street, or is this just another rich man’s game to get into even more businesses where they don’t belong? When is enough enough for them? I’ll give you more as soon as I find out, loyal readers. Follow this page for more about Lydia and what she knows. And let’s keep gossiping. Burn the rich.

  Yours truly,

  Regina, your gossip goddess you can’t escape from.

  Warren

  The sound of the water in the shower and knowing Kerry was in there excited me, but my father’s warnings rushed in my veins. I brushed them off, though. Gossip didn’t matter. The sun was out, and it was time to come to terms with a question I needed to answer quickly: How do I tell Kerry that I’m not a Tate but a Norouzi?

  I started the coffee, and my phone rang. We needed to fly back and finish work. The other day, I’d said no to security, but we’d taken the plane Mom had sent for the day. I saw my father calling again, so I put him on speaker and read the gossip blog he’d mentioned before. “Pedar, so what if someone knows what I’m doing?”

  My mind raced and assumed Lydia meant Linsey, my ex from years ago who threatened to chain herself to my apartment door, as she hadn’t wanted us to break up. I’d probably talked about my life with dread then, but I’d been wrong.

  Kerry made my life better because unlike other women in my life, she wasn’t an accessory.

  My father said, “It’s never good to be caught out of your element, and your strength is here with us. Together, we can do anything.”

  I closed my eyes and tried to imagine just slipping back into my old life but with Kerry. She was the cherry on the sundae, even if she didn’t know it. I swallowed then spoke from my heart. “For the first time in my life, I’ve enjoyed having real challenges where I don’t just play with numbers on my computer.”

  “Fun is over, and it’s your duty to protect the one you love. Go to your New York apartment.”

  His words spun in my head, and I stood straighter. He was right that I needed to be more serious.

  Without a word from me, my father, Parvis Norouzi, a titan to everyone who knew him, harrumphed, the sound he made when he made his point.

  Except I hadn’t explained anything to Kerry. I swallowed hard as I imagined how to reveal who I was. “I’ll want to finish business in Greenville today then head to New York tonight.”

  “Be fast. The sooner you come home, the happier we all are.”

  Right. So I could buy our property in a day and keep our partnership. She would want to run it, and she believed I was a Wall Street guy. I would tell her everything once we were both safe, but Pedar was correct. We couldn’t go home.

  I heard her turn off the shower and walk around the bathroom.

  “We have a complication and need to go get back fast.”

  She came out wearing new jeans and a red T-shirt as she wiped her hair and asked, “What happened? Were you on the phone?”

  Together, we would come up with a plan, but that could be done anywhere. I took her hands. “Yes. I… I decided to use my savings for this deal. Text the realtor. Our partnership is still on, but I have to get back to New York.”

  She didn’t even blink. I saw trust in her eyes. “What do you want me to do?”

  I would have to explain it all to her. I picked up her hand and said, “Close the property deal today with a cash buyout.”

  She bounced back to the bedroom as the coffee finished percolating. “I’ll call the realtor.”

  I poured her a cup and ordered the plane to be fueled and ready. Our life would soon be very different. I hoped she liked my galley kitchen at home and the Italian espresso machine that she could make her favorite drinks with. And if she wanted to cook, I would send the chef back to my father’s staff.

  She finished her coffee and left the cup on the counter as we headed out together.

  “Then assemble the preliminary list for a crew to contact and get their schedules so we can coordinate, offer contracts, and begin construction on the model as soon as possible.”

  The limo picked us up, but she was at ease as she typed on her phone. “Okay. Schedules will be requested, and I’ll open negotiations for contracts. I’ll make it all happen today.”

  I wanted our business to succeed, and the gleam in her eyes told me the same thing. My heart pounded, though. “You’re the best. After we wind up the last business, we’re flying to New York right away.”